COLUMBIA, – Students at 25 schools and centers in Richland School District Two will eat breakfast and lunch for free during the 2023-2024 school year and families will not have to fill out meal applications. The district announced the following schools are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which means each student enrolled at these schools and centers qualifies to eat school meals at no cost regardless of household income:
- Center for Inquiry
- Center for Knowledge
- Bookman Road Elementary
- Bridge Creek Elementary
- Catawba Trail Elementary
- Forest Lake Elementary
- Jackson Creek Elementary
- Joseph Keels Elementary
- Killian Elementary
- L.W. Conder Elementary
- Langford Elementary
- Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary
- North Springs Elementary
- Polo Road Elementary
- Pontiac Elementary
- Rice Creek Elementary
- Sandlapper Elementary
- Windsor Elementary
- Dent Middle
- E. L. Wright Middle
- Longleaf Middle
- Summit Parkway Middle
- Richland Northeast High
- Ridge View High
- Westwood High
Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies and schools with increased levels of low-income students.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Students are encouraged to participate in the school meal programs.
Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Food Service Accounting Specialist Nicole Burns at nburns@richland2.org on an informal basis.
Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Chief Operations Officer Will Anderson 803-736-3774, Richland School District Two, Attn: Will Anderson, 124 Risdon Way, Columbia, SC 29223 for a hearing to appeal the decision.
Not all schools in Richland Two are a part of CEP. Families of students wishing to participate in the free/reduced-priced meal options under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program at the following 12 schools and centers will have to complete meal applications:
- Center for Achievement
- Center for Knowledge North
- Bethel-Hanberry Elementary
- Lake Carolina Elementary-Lower
- Lake Carolina Elementary-Upper
- Round Top Elementary
- Blythewood Middle
- Kelly Mill Middle
- Muller Road Middle
- Blythewood Academy
- Blythewood High
- Spring Valley High
Applications are available on the district’s website: www.richland2.org